An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs, which is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. An umbrella may also be called a brolly (UK slang), parapluie (nineteenth century, French origin), rainshade, gamp (British, informal, dated), or bumbershoot (American slang). Umbrellas are commonly designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The word “umbrella” typically refers to a device used for protection from rain. The word parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun. Often the difference is the material used for the canopy, as some parasols are not waterproof. Umbrella canopies may be made of fabric or flexible plastic.
Umbrellas and parasols are primarily hand-held portable devices sized for personal use. The largest hand-portable umbrellas are golf umbrellas. Umbrellas can be divided into two categories: fully collapsible umbrellas, in which the metal pole supporting the canopy retracts, making the umbrella small enough to fit in a handbag; and non-collapsible umbrellas, in which the support pole cannot retract and only the canopy can be collapsed. Another distinction can be made between manually operated umbrellas and spring-loaded automatic umbrellas which spring open at the press of a button. Hand-held umbrellas have some type of handle, either a wooden or plastic cylinder or a bent “crook” handle (like the handle of a cane).
One problem that has been discovered with the use of umbrellas is that they require a free hand to operate or to maintain in a position over the user. As such, the umbrella user is limited in the things they can do and places they go, while still being able to operate the umbrella. For example, the instant disclosure recognizes that in rainy conditions when a user enters or exits an automobile, or the like, the user must put down the umbrella to enter and exit the vehicle, thereby exposing themselves to the rain. This situation is even more problematic when the user must load or unload something from the vehicle, like groceries or even a child, like a toddler in a car seat, where the user must fasten the child in the car seat while standing in the rain. As such, there is clearly a need to provide an umbrella holder that is configured to position the umbrella over the user while entering and exiting a vehicle.
As another example, the instant disclosure recognizes that using an umbrella with devices like shopping carts, golf carts, push carts, the like, etc., is difficult as the devices may require a user to use their hands for operation and/or would be more user friendly if the user had both hands free for operation. As such, there is clearly a need to provide an umbrella holder that is configured to position the umbrella over the user while operating a device like a shopping cart, a golf cart, a push cart, the like, etc.
Currently, in the field of magnetic umbrella holders there are no known existing products or services that securely position an umbrella on a metal surface.
The instant disclosure is designed to address at least certain aspects of the problems or needs discussed above by providing a magnetic umbrella holder or handle.